The Truth Behind the Internet Privacy Act

Wikipedia describes that the Internet Privacy Act is a non-existent and bogus law created by websites that perform illegal activities such as peer to peer networking, download hosting and piracy. Usually, websites use this law as a defence against arrest and claiming entrapment in court.

I saw one website make use of this Act as a defence for itself in the early days of the Internet during the year 2000. The big problem was that many people believed this. Some websites had viruses for people with IP addresses linking to government or state authority establishments.

The Act was said to be signed by Bill Clinton in 1995, which allows the website owner to hide their Internet Service Providers, companies and people storing the files they own. The act also protects people affiliated with the page, including their relatives, from prosecution.

However, since authorities found it false in 2005, it is still seen in some modern file sharing networks, protocols and other areas. Some hackers make use of the Internet Privacy Act to bug visitors and eventually hack into their terminals with browser-based viruses. Websites who use the Internet Privacy Act also wish to give the public and the visitor a false sense of security regarding data protection.

What You Need To Look For in a Reputable Legal Representative

Law firms and claims management companies are plenty everywhere in the UK. However, which one would guarantee you good results? A reputable legal representative has the following qualities listed here

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1.     No Upfront Fees

What you might consider unprofessional and just plain rude is when a lawyer already asks you an upfront fee just before you consult your case with them. Upfront fees are not a good sign of a fruitful working relationship. A professional legal representative would first tell you their plan of action and achieve for you results before charging you with anything.

2.     Years of Experience

A lawyer knows more than he or she should if they have already been long in the industry. You could expect professional aid and in-depth knowledge based on your lawyer’s years of experience. They could also apply many legal propositions easily in court given that they have tried and tested these ideas in past cases.

3.     Expert in the Field

A legal representative could only be effective if they specialize in the field or aspect of your case. A personal injury lawyer could only do so much for corporate and business laws. It is important to know the specialty of your lawyer before you employ them to handle your case.

Distributed Denial of Service Attacks: Against the Law?

A computer hacker’s favourite weapon is the distributed denial of service attacks. These can deliver against websites by allowing users who open their browsers to allow a program to distribute multiple requests to target servers to break them down. Arrests have been made against computer users who have participated in distributed denial of service attacks or DDoS. However, is this really punishable by law?

Under the Computer Misuse Act of 1990, particularly section 3, states that any unauthorised act with intent to impair or damage computer operations of individuals is considered an offense. If the computer user has knowledge that his or her actions are unauthorised, authorities can arrest him or her for the offense.

The computer user is punishable if they have the intent to damage or impair the operation of the computer, hinder its access to any program or data in the computer and hinder its operations. Recklessness or mens rea in a criminal case means that the computer user knows the presence of a risk with their actions and that in all cases, taking the risk is actually unreasonable for the computer user’s end.

Any person guilty of violating the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 is subject to a summary conviction in England and Wales, can be imprisoned for 12 months or to a fine, or both. The maximum imprisonment they could serve is ten years, with or without fine.

Social Media Websites Could Be Held Responsible for Cyberbullies’ Identities

The Internet has seen its fair share of bloodshed as cyberbullies continue to pound on unsuspecting people forcing them to actually commit suicide or crimes through influence and abusive language. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants to remove anonymity on social media websites Facebook and Twitter to punish those who continue to speak lies, slander and libellous comments online.

Justice Clarke said that Internet companies will need to give up the names and identities of their members who continue to bully other Internet users, or else the Internet company itself will face charges for hiding the identity of suspects in question. Clarke also cleared that the suspects identities are only to the eyes of government entities.      

Clarke stated that individuals have no defence against defamers and rumor-spreaders using libellous comments on social media websites and other Internet social services. Some people have lost their jobs and families because of false rumours spreading with victims accused of pedophilia, manslaughter and other offensive and obscene accusations.

Recently, other governments, including some states in the United States, formed legal “social media” squads, who would allow offensive expressions of opinion, yet would counter any form of threatening message that could lead to undesirable consequences.

Public opinion was divided about the new law. Some netizens state that the law was intrusive and threatening to the freedom of expression. However, others found that it made sharing ideas and opinioins much safer knowing that there is a law that could protect people who get bullied by an Internet community.